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Astitch
Windows was an all-female Canadian alternative metal band formed in 1997. The name of the band came from the fact that the original lineup was bespectacled, though this changed following the departure and death of three of the members. Beth Franks was the only original member remaining in the band. The band produced three albums between 1999 and 2003 before spending the rest of their career touring. They broke up for good in 2006. The band often performed with smaller bands, them being Chevelle, Earshot, Flaw, Endo, Cold, Machine Head, Spineshank, Stereomud, Mudvayne and Nothingface. History The band reportedly formed in their sophomore year. They previously got together as part of a school music project, and due to a generally positive turnout, considered making it a full-time venture. They started out performing at small local ventures and eventually caught the interest of record labels. Three of the four members (the drummer, Beth Franks, was ill at the time) agreed to sign to a supposed new label and wound up being part of the 1997 Alberta Massacre. The events leading up the massacre, as well as other personal drama helped mold Franks' writing process, leading her to write more moody songs. Through encouragement from her friends, she decided to search for new bandmates. She first sought a guitarist, and went with Julie Hodge through a personal recommendation. Both then sought a bassist and singer, due to the both of them being tone deaf. They visited Ontario to recruit either one and went with Trina Riffin, who was previously working as a cashier at Tim Horton's. She opted to try for both positions and while her bass playing didn't click well with either, they were impressed with her vocal range. They had her run both positions due to a lack of better choices. The band proceeded to play at local venues, and were eventually recommended for a battle of the bands contest, hosted at Red's Tapes. The band were able to win, and for their prize they got a chance to record their own EP. They also released an independent album two years later. The EP caught the interest of the Toronto based Shoreline Records, who offered to sign the band, and they agreed on the condition that they maintain creative freedom. They released their first LP, Synergy in 2001. It received average reviews, but garnered somewhat of a following in the United States. Seeing this as an opportunity to build on their following, the band decided to move to the US. The band signed to Dreamworks Records to simplify business negotiations with Shoreline, who still represented them in Canada. They embarked on a near year long tour, which soon ended after an incident involving the paparazzi. The band later recorded and released their second LP Take the E, which attacked Hollywood. This struck a nerve with Dreamworks and they promptly dropped the band. The band was left without any support, and they returned to Canada to contemplate the fate of the band. In 2006, the band announced on their MySpace page that they had broken up. Style The band's songs often had nonsensical titles that are meant to go with the theme of the song. Their earlier work was a lot looser and seems to have taken influence from the likes of Tool. Prior to 2003, their music dealt with the band's personal issues, but were executed in a cryptic fashion so others could relate to said songs. Since 2000, the band have vocally disavowed Hollywood and the mainstream music industry, and it's reflected in their later songs. Signature elements in the band's songs is prolonged screaming, crude lyricism and surreal visuals in their music videos. Trina Riffin, the main vocalist, claims that Lynn Strait of Snot, Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots and Layne Staley of Alice in Chains were her prime influences. Releases * Windows (EP) (1997) * stars (1999) * Synergy (2001) * Take the E (2003) Videography * Alarm Clock * Palm Tree * They Live In Hollywood * Goofing Off * Gloss